KHAR: The traders and political activists staged a protest demonstration here on Tuesday against the local administration for supporting construction of shops `illegally` in front of the existing markets in Sadigabad Bazaar.
Scores of people, including shopkeepers and political activists, took part in the protest organised by Sadigabad Traders Association.
The shopkeepers pulled down shutters and staged a sit-in at the Bajaur-Peshawar highway where they burned tyres and blocked the road for several hours. KharMamond highway also remained closed for traffic during the protest.
The protesters chanted slogans against assistant political agent Khar subdivision Mohammad Ali Khan for his alleged support to the land mafia for constructing new shops in front of the existing ones in Sadigabad Bazaar. They said that the construction of dozens of new shops inside the markets illegally would affect the business of old shopkeepers.
Senior leaders of All Bajaur TradersAssociation and All Bajaur Political Parties Alliance, including Akbar Jan, Aurang Zeb, Abdul Ghafoor Jan, Fazlur Rahman, Atta Khan and Fazal Manan, led the protest.
Speaking on the occasion, they strongly condemned the construction of new shops in front of existing markets in the area and termed the act a clear violation of the local administration`s policy that there would be no shops within 30 metres on both sides of theroad acrossthe agency.
They said that construction of news shops in the area had been declared illegal by the then officials of the local administration several years ago. They said that they could not see dishonest officials like Mohammad Ali Khan in the agency and appealed to the governor and additional chief secretary Fata to transfer him from the agency. They also urged the National Accountability Bureau to take action against him over corruption charges.
The speakers threatened to start a protest movement if the new structures were not removed immediately. However, they ended their protest after officials assured them that their demands would be accepted.
